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(No Model.)

A. V. M. SPRAGUE.

STERILIZER.

Patented Nov. 17, 1896.

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AUSTIN V. M. SPRAGUE, OF NEIV YORK, N. Y.

STERILIZER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 571,541, dated November 17, 1896. Application filed June 6, 1896. Serial No- 59,576. (No model.)

To on whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AUSTIN V. M. SPRAGUE, a resident of New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sterilizers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same.

The invention relates to apparatus for sterilizing surgical dressings and other articles; and it has for its object to provide means for conveniently and quickly generating steam and for introducing it under pressure into a sterilizingoven and for quickly drying the said dressings and other articles after sterilization has been effected; and the invention consists in the construction hereinafter described and particularly pointed out.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a central longitudinal section of the steam sterilizing-oven. Fig. 2 is a partial plan of a gas-burner. Fig. 3 is a partial section of a modification.

Numeral 1 denotes a frame or other support for a steam-oven.

The exterior cylinder 2 of the oven may be bolted or screwed to the support in any convenient manner. \Vithin cylinder 2 is a second cylinder 3. j

4 denotes a door adapted to close the inner cylinder steam-tight.

The ends of both cylinders, and consequently the space between them, are tightly closed by the end wall 5 opposite the door. The space between the cylinders at their front ends adjacent the door is closed by a ring 6, which is fixed to each cylinder and forms a part of a door-clamping device operated by a hand-wheel 7, said Wheel being adapted to depress the proximate ends of levers 8 upon a fulcrum-ring 9 with the effect to press the ring and the door in opposite directions and close the latter tightly upon the end of the inner cylinder.

The space between the cylinders 2 and 4 may be utilized as a combustion-chamber and for the escape of the products, and 9 denotes a chimney communicating therewithn The outer cylinder is provided with an open bottom. In or near said open bottom is situated a two-branched gas-burner having numerous burner-perforations 11. 12 denotes a gas-supply pipe provided with a cook 13, and 14 is a bell-mouthed air-inlet pipe. These parts being of usual construction need no further description. Air is not onlyinduced and injected by the gas issuing from the gassupply pipe, but it also rises freely about the burner-orifices, being induced from below by the draft due to combustion.

The two burner pipes communicate by means of tl1ree-armed pipe -couplings 15. One of these couplings has an arm secured to the frame by a nut 16, said arm being closed by a plug, unless it is found desirable to connect to it a gas and air mixer such as described and indicated by 12 and 14:.

Within the annular combustion-chamber is a water-chamber inclosed by a relatively short cylinder 17, having a steam-tight connection at its ends with the inner cylinder 3. Said water-chamber preferably does not fill the combustion-chamber either longitudinally or circumferentially, as it is desirable that the hot products of combustion may circulate about both its ends and its exterior.

The water space is supplied with water through an inlet 18, provided with a cook 19.

The object being to generate steam, the chamber is in practice, by preference, filled but partially with water. By the use of the gas-burner described or an equivalent source of heat steam can be quickly generated. For sterilizing purposes the temperature of about 240 Fahrenheit, or more, may be desirable. When steam has been generated under pressure at the desired temperature, articles to be sterilized having preferably been placed in the oven by means of a wire cage or otherwise and the oven-door tightly closed, said steam can be admitted to the oven and to the articles by opening a steam-cock 20, situated in a pipe 21, connecting the steam-space of the steam-generating chamber with the oven and preferably near its bottom.

The articles to be sterilized having been suitably subjected to the action of steam and heat, the steam is shut off and the external heating may be continued until all moisture has been expelled from the dressings or other articles.

22 denotes an outlet for draining the oven when required, and 23 indicates a cock therefor.

2i denotes a steam-gage.

26 indicates a safety-valve, 27 a pressuregage, and 28 an air-cock, each communicating with the steam-space of the steam-generator.

29 denotes an outlet, ordinarily closed by a plug or other means, but adapted to be opened for washing out the Water-chamber.

18 is an inlet whereby steam or water under pressure may be admitted for cleansing purposes.

Steam has heretofore been generated from water placed in the oven containing the articles to be sterilized. In such apparatus it is not practicable to dry the articles after sterilization as quickly or completely as desired. By the present improvement no moisture is admitted to the oven except such as is necessarily carried in the form of steam, and means are provided for removing this moisture when condensed and prior to drying the sterilized articles. The heat accumulated in the apparatus, and especially in the water and steam chamber, is utilized for drying purposes, and it can be augmented by continued use of the gas-burners, if such are employed.

If the heating is continued, the moisture expelled through the air-cock opening will preclude the entrance to the oven during the drying operation of unsterilized air.

Other means of heating the oven and generating steam, such as electric heating or steam or hot-water coils, are not excluded by the invention.

It is not essential that the cylinder 17 be shorter than the others, as shown in Fig. 1, though by such construction the ends of the water-cylinder are exposed to the products of combustion. It would be cheaper to extend the outer circumferential wall 17 of the Water-chamber to the heads, as indicated in Fig. 3, and this construction may be employed.

Having described my invention, what I claim is-- 1. In an apparatus for sterilizing articles, an interior sterilizing-chamber, an annular steam-generating chamber surrounding the first-named chamber, means for generating steam under pressure above the normal in said generating-chamber, and a conduit controlled by a cock connected to both chambers whereby both chambers may be heated, and steam generated and subsequently admitted to the sterilizing-chamber, substantially as described.

2. In an apparatus for sterilizing articles, an interior sterilizing-chamber, an annular steam-generating chamber surrounding the first-named chamber, means for generating steam.underpressure above the normal in said generating-chamber, and a conduit controlled by a cock connected to both chambers whereby both chambers may be heated, and steam generated and subsequently admitted to the sterilizing-chamber, said sterilizingohamber being provided with a drainage-outlet, substantially as described.

3. In an apparatus for sterilizing articles, an interior sterilizing-chamber, an annular steam-generating chamber surrounding the first-named chamber, means for generating steam under pressure above the normal in said genera-ting-chamber, said means consisting of a cylinder surrounding the steam-generatin g chamber, a burner situated in or near an opening in the bottom of said latter cylinder and means for producing a draft about the generating-chamber, a conduit controlled by a cock connected to the steam-generating and sterilizing chambers whereby the latter may be heated and steam generated and subsequently admitted to the sterilizingchamber, substantially as described.

t. In a sterilizing apparatus, a steam-tight oven, a steam-generator surroundin the oven and in contact therewith adapted to heat its walls by conduction and radiation, means for generating steam under a pressure above the normal, and a pipe and cook whereby the steam-space of the generator and the oven can be made to communicate at will, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

AUSTIN V. M. SPRAGUE.

.Vitnesses:

FRANK D. BLAcKIsroNE, BENJ. R. CATLIN. 

